Skeleton tower



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1. J. s. ADAMS.

l SKELBTONTOWER. e 110,311,165. Patented Jen. 27, 1885.

(No Model.) 3 Sheetsf-Sheet 2.

J. S. ADAMS. SKELBTON TOWER.

No. 311,165. Patented Jan. 27,1885.

ills

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J.- s. ADAMS. SKELBTON TOWER.

No. 311,165.` Patented Jan. 27,1885.

MITEESES Mdm@ N. PKTAERS, Phawuumgmpxmr, wmnnglan. l.)v C,

JOHN S. ADAMS, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE DETROIT IRON TOWERCOMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SKELETON TOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,165, dated January27, 1885.

Application filed Novembtr 26, 1F81. Renewed July 30, 1883. Againrenewed June 30, 1384. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. ADAMs, of Elgin, in the county of Kane andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSkeleton Towers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to simplify and cheapen theconstruction of skeleton iron towers, to facilitate their erection andto increase their strength; and to these ends it consists in the severalmatters, hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In Letters Patent of the United States No. 187,078, granted to meFebruary 6, 1877, a

vskeleton iron tower is described, which wasoriginally intended moreespecially for the support of windmills, and for similar purposes,requiring an elevation of, say, seventyiive or one hundred feet. In theerection of towers of no,r greater height than that just mentioned, noserious difficulties are encountered in the employment of the devicesand modes' of construction therein illustrated. The threading of theuprights into the special castings or ttings therein shown, for the common connection of the contiguous sections of the uprights, and thetransverse girts or braces is, however, found to be objectionable, fort-he reason that difficulties are encountered in tapping the severalopenings of said ttings at exactly proper angles to receive the parts tobe joined. 'In the enlargement of the tower to a height of one hundredand fifty to two hundred and fifty feet, and to a proportionate breadthat the base, as now required for the support of electric lights, andsimilar powerful illuminating apparatus,peculiar difficulties attend itserection, and the necessity for perfect linear and angular accuracy inthe connections is greatly augmented in order to insure a maximum ofstrength from a minimum of weight in the materials used. Moreover,serious delays are often experienced in procuring special fittingsdifficult to make, which greatly add to the time and expense ofconstruction. In the present invention, therefore, I employ only suchspecial fittings as are easily made, and for the rest use ordinary formsof fittings always found in stock. In place of the particular castingreferred to, I have provided a means of joining the parts, not only bywhich they are readily and accuratel y united, but also by which thewhole process of erection is materially siniplitied,cheap ened, andexpedited. By the addition of other features of improved construction, Iam also enabled to use in the tallest towers tubing of the full marketlength withoutsacrifice of strength and with the advantage of the utmosteconomy in material and labor.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a portion'of a triangularskelet-oniron tower embracing the improvements herein claimed. Fig. 2 isa vertical section of my improved joint uniting the standards andhorizontal girts or braces. Fig. 3 is a plan of a main triangular girtthe members of which are connected at their ends by means of eyes whichform part of the joints shown in Fig. 2. In said Fig. 3 is also shown atriangular arrange nient of braces by which the main girts of the lowerand broader sections of the tower are strengthened. Fig. 4t is aplan ofan intermediate triangular girt the members of which are joined attheir. ends `by special castings suited to be attached to the standardsof the tower at any chosen point between their ends. Fig. 5 is anelevation of one of the junctionboxes uniting the parts of each diagonalbrace at the'point where two such braces intersect, and forming meansfor connecting the intersecting diagonals to each other, together withthe clevis of a rod suspended therefrom. Fig. 6 is a view of the innerface of one of the lockplates with headed diagonal braces in placetherein, and showing indotted lines the relative position of a secondopposite lock-plate joined therewith by the clevis-bolt. Fig. 7 is acentral section ofthe two united lock-plates with depending clevis,taken through 8 8 of Fig. 5, in which, for greater clearness, the platesare supposed to be rotated to bring the line 8 S vertical. Fig. 8 is aperspective view of one of the .lock-plates detached. Fig. 9 is aperspective view of the special casting which forms the commonconnection of the main girts with each other, and with the towerstandards, showing said casting provided with IOO apertured lugs or eyesfor the attachment of the clevises belonging to the diagonal verticalbraces, also in part shown. Fig. l0 shows side and front elevations ofclevises for the diagonal braces. Fig. l1 is a fragmentary view of' atriangular tower in process of construction, showing temporary bracesused for purposes that will be explained. Fig. 12 is a view of thehinged clamp by which the upper end of the temporary brace is attachedto the girt. Fig. 13 is a view of the similarlyhinged clamp by which therod is secured to the standard, showing a swiveled adjustable connectionof the brace-rod with the clamp.

A A are the standards of the tower. B B are main horizontal girtsuniting the standards A A at their extremities. C C are intermediatehorizontal girts uniting the standards A between their ends. D D arediagonal braces connecting opposite ends ofthe adj acentstandards A. E Eare suspending-rods hung from the intersection of the diagonal braces D,and centrally supporting the main girts B. F F are temporary brace-rodsemployed in the erection of the tower, to prevent swaying of the severalstandards while the connected main girts are being put in place, and forthe support of the intermediate girts, which are used to sustain atemporary scaffolding.

The standards A consist, usually, of sixteenfoot lengths of tubulariron, right-threaded at both ends. Said standards are secured into anysuitable foundation-support at the angles of an equilateral polygon,usually a triangle, and as a preferable construction take at their upperends the lower coupling, A2, Fig. 2. Into this coupling is run the shortnipple A, also right-threaded at both ends. The main girts B, usually oftubular iron, are right and left threaded at their ends, and are joinedto form the polygon B B B, Fig. 3, by means of special fittings or eyesB, tapped to receive the ends of the girts B, and provided with theapertures b, of proper size to freely admit the nipples A. Saidapertures are preferably inclined at the same angle at which thestandards A inwardly incline, and have their upl per and lower facesalso inclined from the horizontal, to lie parallel with the end of thecoupling A2 when resting thereon, or at right angles with the axis ofthe standards A. The connected main girts B B B rest by their aperturedconnections B upon the shoulders a, formed by the couplings A?, orequivalent means, as shown in Figs. l and 2. girt thus supported isconfined in place by means of the upper couplings, A2, which are rundown upon the nipples A, and also form seats for the standards A of thenext higher section of the tower. The girt-connections B are providedwith apertured lugs or eyes d5, arranged above and below the thimblesB4, into which the girts B are threaded for the purpose of connectingwith the diagonal braces D, as will be explained hereinafter.

Within the lower main triangular girts, B, of large towers, interiorbraces, B2, are introrIhe main duced, being preferably connected byright and left screw-threads at their ends with special iittings B3,adapted to be secured to the girts B in the relation shown in Fig. 3.Sometimes said girts B will be of such length that two lengths of tubingwill be necessary to make one girt, in which case the ends of the partsforming a girt B may be threaded into the fitting B, in the manner shownat the left in Fig. 3. In other cases said ittings B3 may have ahorizontal aperture through which thc girt B passes, and a set-screw bywhich to clamp the girt rigidly within the fitting, as also indicated inFig. 3.

The entire structure shownin Fig. 3, consisting of the girts Bandinterior braces, B2, with the several connections B and Bi,will beput together on the ground or before being applied to the standards A.

Using sixteen-foot lengths or other long tubes for the sections of hightowers, it is desirable to employ girtsA C C to connect the standards AA between their ends, and thereby prevent their detlection undercompressive strain. Said intermediate girts are connected by two-partangle-fittings C C to form the unitary struct-ure shown in plan in Fig.4L. The parts of said angle-fittings are constructed to clasp thestandards A firmly, and to this end may be simply bolted together, asshown at the right lower corner of Fig. `4t, or hooked danges c on theplate G2 may embrace the flanges c on the body C ofthe fitting, so as tobe held and to hold the fitting in place on the standards by means of aset-screw, c, or key ct.

In order to enable the diagonal braces to draw straight between theirpoints of attachment with the fittings B of the adjacent main girts, theintermediate girts, C, are so connected by the fittings C as to set ashort distance inside the plane of said diagonal braces, as shown inFig. 4, wherein said planes are represented by dotted lines p. e

The diagonal braces D, preferably of solid rods, are madein two unequalparts of such length that the points of connection in the twointersecting diagonals will coincide, as seen in Fig. 1. The parts ofeach rod are provided at the adjacent ends with solid square heads d,and are threaded at their opposite extremities, one right and the otherleft, into the clevises D*. lugs di ofthe angle-fittings B belonging tothe connected main girts B B B, and are secured to said lugs by thebolts d llhe headed inner ends of each pair of the said two-partdiagonal braces D are connected by means of the specialjunction-box orlock-plate77 D. (Shown in perspective in Fig. 8, and in inner elevation,with the rods in place therein, in Fig. 6.)

Each pair of diagonal braces is constructed and connected in the mannerdescribed, both junction-boxes D being provided with dat circularflanges d3, by which,when the boxes are held ,in the position shown inFig. 7, they mutually close each other and retain the heads Saidclevises embrace thev IOO IIO

IZO

ci in place. Before joining the two adjacent lock-plates D@ as setforth, each plate may serve as a wrench (or as a hold for a wrench) bywhich to run the opposite right and left threaded outer ends oi' thebraces D into the terminal clevises D, and thus draw the tower sectionsor panels of which they form part into proper position. Thus givenproper tension the braces are held from being` accidentally relaxed byconnectingthe coincidentlock-plates D' face to face by a central bolt,E2, as shown. The central bolt, E2, by which the lock-plates are securedin the position indicated in Fig. 7, is also employed to support theclevis E', as shown in Fig. 7, but at its lower end is right-threadedinto the fitting Bf on the girtB` By means oi' such rod E the longtransverse girts B are centrally supported from the stand ards A, andsag oi' said girts is prevented. Ordinarily the girts B, which will beso supported, will also be trussed by the sub-girts B2, and a singletting, B, will serve for' the attachment ot' said sub-girts and thesuspending rods E; but in-the absence oi' said subgirts a simpleT-coupling or other form of tting will serve to connect the rod E withthe girt B. lf preferred, the rod E may be right and left threaded, andscrewed into the clevis E, and its lower end may be similarly threadedinto a clevis.

In the erection of towers having the standards A formed of long sectionsor lengths of pipe, as stated, to be desirable, after the lower ends ofthe standard-sections of a panel are screwed into the couplings A2,theintermediate girts, 0,'iirst joined with the fittings C, are lifted andsecured in place at a pointabout midway between the ends or" thestandardsections.

In order to give rigidity to the girts C for the support of a platformor staging resting thereon from which to elevatev the next main girt,and in order to restrain the incomplete section of the structure fromswaying about before being diagonally braced, ltemporary braces F, areemployed which are removably clamped at their ends tothe intermediategirts and standards somewhat in the position shown in Fig. ll.l

The clamping devices are shown in section, transverse to the axes'oi theseveral parts to which they are applied,in Figs. 12 and 13. Said clampsare made in halves, hinged at f 2, one half having the iiange f3provided with a long closed slot, f4, and the other half provided with ashorter flange, having an outwardlyopen slot whereby the bolt f, whenits nut is loosened but not run off, may be slipped out clear of theiiangef, and be still retained in the slot f". One hinged part of theclamp is also provided wit-h a lug, f, to which the bracerod F ispivotally attached by a bolt, as shown. This last feature ofconstruction is shown only in connection with the upper clamp, F', butobviously the lower clamp, F2, may be of the same construction. It is,however, desirable to sometimes change the length of the bracerods, andfor this purpose the rod F is made longitudinally adjustable through theeye F?, having a swiveled connection with one part of the lower hingedclamp, F2, and provided with the set-screwf".

In the erection of the tower in which the parts are connected as aboveset forth, the tower may be conveniently built either by beginning withthe top section and raising and adding at the bottom, or by buildingfrom the bottom upward. In the lat-ter case stagings are laid on thesucceeding main and intermediate girts, and the next higher connectedgirts are conveniently raisedand applied from such stagings.

The girts being united on the ground or on the scaffold to form unitarycompound members, and the iittings by which they are joined to thestandards being of the form shown, it is obvious that the difficultiesof screwing parts together by right and left threaded screws whilesupporting them in elevated positions, are wholly obviated.

I claim as my invention- 1. [n combination with the standards A and withthe girt-coupling B', provided with the eye b for the admission ot' thethreaded part A', connecting adjacent standards, the couplings A2, ortheir equivalentshouldered parts, arranged above and below the couplingB, whereby the latter may be confined in place, substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination with the girts B, joined by the couplings B', havingeyes b, the standards A, of au incomplete skeleton iron tower providedwith shoulders a, and short vertical threaded nipples A', whereby thecouplings B/ of the previously-connected girts B may be set over thesaid nipples A,to rest on the shoulders preparatory to the addition ofthe next sections oi' standards, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the standards A, provided with shoulders a neartheir upper ends, and having their upper ends threaded, the girts B,connected with each other at their extremities by the couplings B',rigidly secured to said girts,and provided with the aperture b, adaptedto set over the upper ends of the standards, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the standards A,the girts C, joined by thetwopart couplings C O2, recessed to receive the standards, and providedwith i'astenings, whereby the parts of the coupling may be clamped aboutthe standards, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the sectional standards A, diagonally braced fromend to end, the girts C, arranged inside the plane occupied by thediagonal braces, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the inclined standards A, provided with shouldersa near their ends, which shoulders support the girt-couplings B', saidcouplings rigidly secured tothe IIO EVO

horizontal girts and having their faces inclined t0 bear squarelyagainst the shoulders a, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the diagonal brace D, formed of two headed parts,as shown, the connection D', having the recess d/ and slots d?,substantially as and for the purposes stated.

S. In combination with the standards and girts, the intersectingserewthreadcd diagonal braces D D, each formed et' two parts, andconnecting-plates D, joining the parts of the several diagonals at theintersection ot the latter, and means for locking said plates to eachother, substantially as described.

9. In combination with the heaced rods D and recessed connecting-plzuesD, brought to position with their open l'aces opposite each other, thecentral bolt, E2, operating to hold the parts in place and tocon'linetlie rod-heads d, substantially as described.

10. In combination with the girts B and with the intersecting` diagonalbraces D D, connected to each other at their intersection, thesuspending rod E, arranged to centrally support the girts from thebraces, substantially as described.

11. In combination with the plates D, connecting the parts ot' theseveral braces D, and with the bolt El, connecting said plates, theclevis E, forming an attachment for the sus pending rod E with thebraces, substantially as described.

l2. In combination with the diagonal braces D, threaded at their ends,the girt-couplings B, provided with eyes d5, and the threaded clevisesD, pivoted to said eyes, substantially as described.

13. In combination with the standards A and girts C, temporary braces F,adapted to be removably attached to the standards and girts,substantially as described, and tor the purposes set forth.

1I. In combination with the tower standards and girts, the bracerods F,provided with detachable clamps Ii" and F2, the latter longitudinallyadjusted upon said rods, substantially as and l'or the purposes setforth.

l5. In combination with the tower standards and girts, the brace-rods F,provided with detachable clamps pivotally connected with the rods,substantially as described, and for the purposes stated.

In testimony' that I claim the foregoing.;` as my invention I atx mysignature in presence ot' two witnesses.

JOHN S. ADAMS.

Vitnesses:

I. E. DAYTON, F. U. ADAMs.

